15 Hero WODs You’ve Probably Never Done

Navy file photo of Navy SEALs operating in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Murph. You love it. You love to hate it. You hate that you love it.

Regardless, it’s probably given you a bit little bit of Hero WOD flu. You know, the bug every CrossFitter catches twice or thrice a decade when trying every Hero WOD on the face of the planet becomes their goal numero uno.

Ummm why? Because these WODs honor and function as a memorial for men and women who have died in the line of duty while working in the military, or as police officers or firefighters.

And because they’re tough as hell, and CrossFitters love to challenge themselves physically and mentally.

The list below, adapted from the official CrossFit page, is far from comprehensive (there’s well over 200 listed on the CrossFit.com). But it’s a good place to start. Just remember why you’re doing them and who you’re doing them for, when you’ve got sweat dripping everywhere.

(For more detailed biographical information, head to the official CrossFIt FAQ page where images and further information on each hero are provided.)

CLOVIS

Who: U.S. Army Second Lieutenant Clovis T. Ray, 34, of San Antonio, Texas, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, based in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, was killed on March 15, 2012, in Kunar province, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

The WOD:

Complete the following for time:

10 Mile Run

150 Burpees

If you have a 26.2 bumper sticker on your car, you have no excuse not to do this workout. The rest of you, well, make sure you can comfortably run a 10K. Then, tackle this baby partitioning this baby as needed.

This is the first WOD of many Hero runs with a whole lot of running., but this chipper is pretty self explanatory. Complete it, then check the time before you rolling on the ground in your post-WOD agony.

DANIEL

Who: U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Crabtree, 31,died in Al Kut, Iraq, on June 8, 2006, when an improvised explosive device detonated during combat operations.

…Continue this same pattern, adding to the number of repetitions for each squat clean set until you reach 10 total repetitions, and reducing the number of parallette handstand push-ups until you reach 1.

This Hero WOD doesn’t care about your weaknesses. It cares about lifting heavy and kicking your gymnastics-doing ass. When your shoulders are burning, remember Justin James, it’ll get you through.

NICK

Who: U.S. Army Spc. Nicholas P. Steinbacher, 22, died on Dec. 10, 2006, when insurgents attacked his Humvee with an IED in Iraq.

192 reps with dumbbells…Here’s to facing your fears in honor of Nick, 1 bitch-of-a-dumbbell-movement at a time.

HIDALGO

Who: U.S. Army First Lieutenant Daren M. Hidalgo, 24, of Waukesha, WI, assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, based in Vilseck, Germany, died on February 20, 2011, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

Never skip leg day, folks. Or at least, not when leg day takes the name “Hidalgo”.

SHIP

Who: Canadian Forces Sgt. Prescott Shipway, 36, was killed on Sept. 7, 2008, by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

The WOD:

Complete 9 total rounds of the following for time

7 Squat Cleans (185#/135#)
8 Burpee Box Jumps (36”)

ADRAIN

Who: U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Adrian Elizalde, 30, died on Aug. 23, 2007, in Iraq, of wounds sustained from an IED.

The WOD:

Complete 7 rounds of the following for time:

3 Forward Rolls
5 Wall Climbs
7 Toes-to-Bars
9 Box Jumps (30″),

This may be the first time you’ve seen a forward roll in a WOD, but second maybe to handstand walking, this move is about as gymnasty as it gets. Plus, with the Regionals have been progressing, you might just see these in 2019. We’re onto you Castro.